Brownstone’s Nicci Gilbert co-signs on rapper Tory Lanez’s chart-topping hit, “Say It.” During an appearance at the 2016 ESSENCE Festival, Glibert shared her feelings on the Toronto rapper sampling the R&B trio’s biggest hit.
Lanez, 23, is barely older than Brownstone’s smash 1994 hit “If You Love Me” but he found it absolutely necessary to pay homage to at least one member of the group. For Gilbert, now seasons deep into the R&B Divas series (where she wears the hats of both creator and executive producer), it was refreshing to know that a track she had a part in writing years ago has been reborn. “I absolutely love it,” she admits.
“A friend of mine was actually onset shooting the video. He called and said this young man used a sample of “If You Love Me,”” she recalls. “He said, ‘[Tory] would love to talk to you and get your blessing on the song, that’s about to come out. I thought that was really cool that he took the time out to wanna reach out and say ‘Hey, I’m doing this and I would love to get your blessing on it,’” she continued with a smile. “It was bittersweet for me because it was right after Maxee (Charmayne Maxwell) died and I know that she would’ve absolutely loved the record.”
The singer says that although she hadn’t heard “Say It” yet, she adored the concept. Eventually, someone sent her a link to the track and she fell even deeper. Back in January, the group reunited to perform with Lanez on Jimmy Kimmel Live and Gilbert says that they’ve been working with him creatively—at the rapper’s request.
“I’ll be honest,” Gilbert said. “A lot of rappers out here, you don’t understand what they’re saying. That millennial generation, you’re like, ‘What’s going on?’ But thank God, Tory did a great job.”

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Gilbert added that she’ll be celebrating her 46th birthday in a week, then offers this: “You know how many kids are like, “Oh. I love that song ‘Say It.’ And I’m like, ‘You know that song came from somewhere? And they’re just like, ‘What?’’”

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